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God of My Joy – A New Book by Rev. Odilon Singbo
Rev. Odilon-Gbènoukpo Singbo, priest and lecturer at the Catholic University of Croatia, has authored a new book of spiritual reflections titled God of My Joy. The subtitle, Ten Antidotes to a Grim Christianity, is explained in the foreword: “This subtitle by no means implies that there exists an official form of Christianity that is grim. Rather, it aims to caution against the danger of turning Christian faith into a suffering-centred faith, filled only with inescapable crosses, hardships, and wounds.”
The ten antidotes to such a perspective—presented across ten chapters—span 252 pages and are co-published by Kršćanska sadašnjost and the Catholic University of Croatia. The book’s cover features the image Resurrection from the University Chapel, a work by Ivan Šaško and Branimir Dorotić. Each chapter begins with a quote from a Church Father, pope, saint, or a segment of a prayer or hymn, which serves as an introduction to a Gospel passage that is then reflected upon. Regardless of how familiar these texts may be, the author invites the reader to revisit and apply them afresh in everyday life.
Drawing on his own background—from the rich culture of his native Benin to Croatian customs, sayings, and everyday encounters with believers, colleagues, family, and friends—Rev. Singbo identifies Mary’s enthusiasm, Jesus’ sense of humour, and the personalities of the apostles in the lived experience of faith.
The chapter titles signal their themes: Blessed Is the One, From Awareness to Cooperation in Joy, From the Water of Trust to the Wine of Joy, Sincere Disorientation Births Joy, With Gentle Light to a Joyful Return to Oneself, As Joy, Where Joy Dwells, God, Is There a Bit of Humor in You?, The Thorn of Humility and Fulfilment, and In You Lies All My Joy. Each chapter is broken down into shorter reflections with evocative subtitles such as God Forbid I Take Anyone for Granted, Thank God for Those Smarter Than Me, Without the Right Like, Life Ends in Chaos, and Those Who Don’t Rest Weary Everyone Around Them.
Simultaneously humorous in tackling serious themes and deeply immersed in the mystery of God’s humanity—which evokes a genuine (smile of) joy in the reader—Rev. Singbo writes about complex matters with simplicity. He never trivialises the simple but instead elevates it, as Christ Himself did by showing us the value of the everyday. In short, this book is a testimony to the beauty of being human and to God as the source, longing, hope, and fulfilment of every joy.
God of My Joy is Rev. Singbo’s third book of spiritual reflections. His first, The Storm Will Pass, now in its third edition, serves as a guide through Lent. The second, Gospel Crumbs for Inner Ecology, encourages the nurturing of spiritual wellbeing and a healthy relationship with the created world. This latest volume, for the first time, also features a touch of his lyrical expression in the form of prayer-poems, ending the foreword with a gentle exhortation to us all: that despite everything—and above all—we may be (and bring) joy.